Weighty decision in picking a scale

Here are some tips to help make your decision to buy a new bathroom scale a little less weighty:

• Analog scales are the simplest way to measure weight. Also called mechanical scales, they operate on a spring mechanism that doesn’t require batteries, and generally feature large foot platforms and easy-to-read dials. They’re widely available in stores including Bed, Bath and Beyond and Ikea. On the downside, they don’t offer bells and whistles such as body-fat calculations, and accuracy can also be an issue.

• Digital scales that measure only body weight are similar to analog scales in terms of simplicity, with increased accuracy. They are battery-operated and easy to find in stores and online, and some models have memory capabilities that can store as many as 10 previous weight readings.

• High-tech scales dig deeper into the body composition story than analog or basic digital scales. Many models calculate body fat percentage using a small electrical pulse that distinguishes between fat and muscle tissue. (Scales don’t offer the most precise body fat measurements but can be useful for tracking the percentage change between weigh-ins.) Others, such as Withings’s Wireless Scale ($100) and Smart Body Analyzer ($150), can use WiFi or Bluetooth to sync to your smartphone or tablet, instantly updating digital weight and BMI charts. Talking scales, such as Royal Tel-Weight’s bilingual scale ($70), are useful for the visually impaired.

• High-capacity scales provide an alternative option for people weighing more than a “standard” scale can accommodate. Most scales max out at 300 to 350 pounds, but EatSmart’s extra-wide bath scale ($37) can hold up to 440 pounds. Medical scales can hold significantly more — some accommodate up to 800 pounds — but they can cost several hundred or even thousands of dollars.